Wilt as Soon as They're in the Sun? These Shade-Tolerant Plants Don't Need Much Sunlight

Spring is the season when everything grows like crazy, and the warm sunlight after noon feels especially nice on your skin. However, don't assume that plants are sure to love this kind of comfortable sunlight; some plants just go against the grain, and too much sun actually makes them wilt, leaving the whole plant looking listless.

Arrowroot (Maranta)

The arrowroot is similar to the lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) in that its leaves are a vivid green, with some textures resembling a cat's eyes and some whole leaves covered in distinctive markings, giving viewers an indescribable sense of depth. But it turns out that the vast majority of arrowroots are very afraid of sunlight, especially long-term exposure; the result is curled leaves and dry edges, and in severe cases the entire leaf dries up, greatly ruining its ornamental value.

Key care points: Pay attention to light; arrowroot likes shady places and can be kept in a relatively dark spot. Its daily growing temperature is 18 to 30 degrees, and it likes humus-rich acidic or slightly acidic soil. In spring and summer it doesn't need too much light. During the growing period it has relatively high water requirements, and the soil should be kept feeling "moist"; in summer, increase the frequency of watering appropriately.

Asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus)

In recent years the asparagus fern can be called a must-have trendy plant for office desks. It looks like a short plant, usually around 5cm to 10cm tall, and the plant itself gives off an odorless gas that can eliminate bacteria in the air and drive away mosquitoes.

Key care points: It likes mild sunlight, but not intense, prolonged exposure, otherwise the leaves easily turn yellow and dry up; if that really happens, you can only bear the pain and cut them off, as they cannot recover. For watering, follow "water when dry, stop when wet"; for fertilizing, use fermented organic fertilizer, and apply it once a week using the "dilute fertilizer, frequent application" method.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Pothos is a plant that is very hard to kill. Its leaves stay green all four seasons, and when your eyes are tired at work, looking at it for about 20 minutes can help relieve fatigue; at the same time, because it has lots of green leaves, it can also purify the air. However, when it comes to care, many people don't know that it actually can't tolerate sun, especially the sunlight of spring, summer and autumn, which is a huge test for it.

Key care points: The suitable growing temperature is around 20 degrees; provide scattered light for illumination, and never expose it to blazing sun. It likes loose, fertile, humus-rich, slightly acidic sandy soil. For watering, wait until the potting soil is completely dry before watering. As for the timing of fertilization, it is recommended to do it in autumn and spring, because these two seasons are the vigorous growth periods for pothos and it has a relatively large demand for fertilizer; fertilize once every 10 days.